This is a simple (patchy) record of my comings and goings, but if that's your sort of thing, knock yourself out.

Monday, June 1, 2009

I've Gotta Say

It's not a very good idea, but I'm doing it. It's 1:40am, and my wheels keep turning, thinking of things that have to be said or, typed. I just can't go to bed satisfied until these thoughts are published.

This afternoon, we had a Barbeque at Hill Crest apartments with our friends. In the top photo, that's my neighbor/friend Tyler in the striped hoody with his chica, Sophie (who thinks I'm cool and way funny ...and I really like her name!).

I was the grill-master. In other words, they called me up and asked me to grill the burgers. Well, I'm used to cooking over charcoal. On the gas grill, we get some crazy grease fires going. So some of the burgers had charred edges, but they turned out all right. I felt like I was on a cooking show; the entire group sat on the little grassy knoll next to the grill area and watched me work. The pressure (or heat, to be more precise) was on. Good thing hot-dogs are almost fail-proof.

It was so nice to just sit down and soak in the beauty of a Sunday to the taste of some real food and in the company of good friends. Two mothers were in our crowd, visiting for Mothers' weekend. It made it feel a bit more homey. And I mean that in a strictly non-gangsta way.

These pictures are mainly for my family, especially those bloggists on Porter who keep me in touch with the Joe City life; I'm returning the favor, in a small way.

Sister Bonnie D. Parkin, former Relief Society President, came and spoke at a fireside this evening with her husband. It was nothing short of amazing. I left it kicking myself for not having brought my notebook. That is one dynamic lady. She knows how to teach and present.

One thing I took from the meeting was AYB. It means, "Are You Building?" It was something she and her husband took right from the Family Home Evening manual when they had children who sometimes said mean things. Well, later on they used it when Bro. Parkin served as a mission president in England. If they overheard anything unkind being said about someone, they'd pose the question, "AYB?" It really brought into focus the effects of those types of conversations. If you're not building, what are you doing, and is it worth it?

3 comments:

Hey you "Idaho Gangsta!" Love the pics of you & your posse, or is it peeps? I'm not sure, to me thats a group of law men on horseback & a box of marshmallow easter candy, (Darcy's favorite by the way). I remember those Sundays. We didn't have a grill but we always made navajo tacos. You should introduce your Idaho friends to some authentic northern arizona favorites. You could demonstrate the art of making fry bread & teach them the cheer that goes along with it, "Fry bread fry bread, greasy greasy. We will beat you easy easy!" (Make sure you say with a navajo accent)

I love the AYB. I might have to use that too. Our inspired meeting was a combined adult & youth meeting where we discussed our experiences after taking the challenge from the bishop to live off our year supply for 2 weeks. JC got up & gave his thoughts & it was like JC Hansen senior had risen from the dead. With his beard, JC the younger, looks so much like him. Julie & I felt like we were sitting in an old "United Order" meeting. Especially when someone stood up to tell us that if we put some "chewin' tabacca" in our beans it will keep the bugs out. JC's reply was, "Make sure you have a wrist rocket so you can use the beans to kill something worth eating".

Thanks you for posting these pictures. I'm so glad we all have these blogs to keep us all close. I want to come and visit you in the worst way. Seriously. But I haven't got the funds just now. Maybe next semester. Maybe I'll take up singing outside the shop and leave Danny's hat out for people to drop money in."Somewhere out there..."

Hey so I have decided to fallow your more interesting blog. I tried the whole rock thing and well....enough about that. Nice pics I enjoyed seeing you amongst all those people I don't know it brought back so many memories of my short lived college days. Any way Stephano I will be fallowing you so be sure to write something about me sometime, just to boost my ego a bit. lol.